Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2023 23 "There is an angle which I feel gets overlooked when we talk about cloud deployment into the CAF, and that's how the data within the cloud is used. Warfighters do not just access the data, they actively use the data in support of mission operations." — Alkarim Amlani Working with these companies, we can adapt the technology in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) context. If you want to go further, go together." • A quick feedback cycle with the end user: "We've always taken the user-cen- tered approach to our solution offering. Moving forward these end user engage- ments are invaluable … working side by side developing and iterating solutions in real time with the end user feedback being instantaneous." • Packaging for easy consumption by the CAF: Whether it's out of the box or needs some customization, General Dynamics is prepared to help, and Khoo notes that both turnkey and custom so- lutions work with Made in Canada hard- ware and software already in service. Bringing CAF Infrastructure to the Cloud Everything General Dynamics is trying to do with its CAF digitization initiatives comes back to enabling the warfighter. C2 workloads and the cloud are at the center of that effort. Alkarim Amlani explained a few of the C2 application and workload needs. First, new C2 systems need to operate in an en- vironment where reliable, high-bandwidth connections are not available all the time and where some of these connections could end up traveling into contested cyberspace. There also needs to exist the ability to add and remove technologies as priorities evolve and capabilities are phased out. And they need a secret-level cloud with data-centric security (General Dynamics being a cloud-agnostic capabil- ity provider helps with this). But there's more to it than that. "There is an angle which I feel gets overlooked when we talk about cloud deployment into the CAF, and that's how the data within the cloud is used," says Amlani. "Warfighters do not just access the data, they actively use the data in support of mission operations." This means any C2 workload has to provide effective, useful, secure data to the warfighter over a disconnected, in- termittent and latent network. And as AI and machine learning come into the mix, providers like General Dynamics have to figure out risk mitigation for a whole new cyberattack surface. Amlani calls out four areas from the new CAF digital strategy that need to be ad- dressed to make digitization a reality: 1. Willingness to experiment with emerg- ing technologies. 2. Investment in technology and infra- structure. 3. Active collaboration between indus- try partners, academic institutions and DND. 4. Merging best practices from the de- fense industrial base and traditional IT companies to create a Canadian sover- eign solution. General Dynamics is focused on accom- plishing these goals for the CAF, and Am- lani and Khoo are right at the forefront. Want to hear more? Listen to the whole interview here. • Data contextualization: "General Dy- namics' TNaaS (Tactical Networks as a Service) enables the flow of how infor- mation is analyzed and scrubbed: pre- senting the essential information needed for decision making." Khoo also noted that "the operational urgency has significantly increased due to conflicts that are happening in real time." How General Dynamics Approaches C4ISR Modernization C4ISR is a key concern for the CAF. Gen- eral Dynamics is drawing on three previ- ous areas of experience to move forward, as Khoo explained. • Innovation with industry partners: "GD hasn't stopped innovating in this space. There are many technology com- panies, both big and small, that have ex- cellent expertise and products to offer. Exercise IRON SWORD during Operation REASSURANCE Photo: DND P E R S P E C T I V E Sponsored Content

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